Lift truck for stacking articles

ABSTRACT

763,771. Fork lift trucks. SCHWEIZERISCHE INDUSTRIE-GES. Jan. 18, 1955, No. 1529/55. Class 78 (3). The fork 18 of a lift truck is pivoted to the lifting carriage about a vertical pin 21 which is mounted on the carriage for lateral sliding movement. As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, a member 12 is moved relative to the carriage 8 by a thruster 9, 10 and bar 11, whilst a member 13 is simultaneously moved relative to member 12 by chains 14, 15. A further thruster 20 swings the fork about pin 21. Figs. 4-6 (not shown) illustrate the preferred construction in which members, corresponding to members 12, 13, are housed coaxially within a guide secured to the carriage; and a series of rollers are provided to guide the movements of the members. The Specification states that the fork can be swung to either side of the truck.

July 16, 1957 HANs-RubbL HALDIMANN 2,799,418

LIFT TRUCK FOR STACKING ARTICLES Filed Feb. 5, 1955 1 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 1 I JH I H Fig.2

'INVENTOR.

Hans Rudolf Halc iman n BY July 16, 1957 HANS-RUDOLF HALDIMANN LIFT muck FOR sTAcKmG ARTICLES Filed Feb. 3, 1955' 25 Shee1;s-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR."

H nsfi d' h Hal fmann BY July 16, 1957 HANSRUDOLFIHALDIYM ANN 2,799,

LIFT TRUCK FOR STACKING ARTICLES Filed Feb; 5, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 h n a h an.

United grates i atent 2,799,418 LIFT TRUCK FOR STACKING ARTICLES witzerland, as- Neu- Hans-Rudolf Haldimann, Neuhauseu,

signor to Schweizerische Industrie-Gcseilschaft, hausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland Application February 3, 1955, Serial No. 486,013 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-730) cated laterally of the vehicle, but nevertheless there neces-;

sarily remains a considerably empty space where boxes and the like cannot be located if the vehicle is to have sufficient space for maneuvering the articles which are stacked.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by providing a vehicle of the above type with a means which will enable the vehicle to handle articles located much closer to each other than has hitherto been possible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of accomplishing the previous object and at the same time being made up of simple and ruggedly constructed parts which are very reliable in operation and which are fairly inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of a vehicle for stacking articles, this vehicle including a support means adapted to move up and down on a vehicle and a lifting member adapted to en-' gage an article to be moved. A first means mounts the lifting member for movement about a substantially verticai axis, and a second means mounts the first means on the support means for shifting movement with the lifting member in a substantially horizontal direction.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic, side elevational view of a known fork-lift truck;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view diagrammatically illustrating the problem solved by the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic, top plan view illustrating the principles upon which the present invention is based;

Fig. 4 is a sectional, elevational view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of one possible structure for carrying out the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a fork-lift truck 1 having a lifting member 2 which may move vertically up and down the vehicle 1 and which is turnable about the verfork 2 may be turned about that the corner 5 of the box 4 must "ice 3. As is evident from Fig. 2, the

the axis of shaft 3 in a clockwise direction to become located beneath one of the boxes 4, as indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2 so as to be able to raise this box 4 and move it to the dot-dash line position in front of the vehicle 1 indicated in Fig. 2 by turning of the fork 2 in a counterclockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 3. As is indicated in'Fig. 2 the tines of the fork 2 are of different lengths so that it is possible for the fork 2 to become located beneath the box 4 as indicated in Fig. 2. However, when the boxes 4 are arranged as closely to each other as indicated in Fig. 2, it is not possible for a box 4 to be turned to the dotdash line position along the corridor 7 of Fig. 2 without raising the particular box 4 above the box 4' shown fragmentarily at the right of Fig. 2. The reason for this isturnalong the are 6 shown in Fig. 2, and if the box 4' is located at the same tical axis of the shaft elevation as the box 4 to the left of box 4', then it is evident that the box 4 prevents turning of box 4 along the are 6. Where the boxes are stacked so high that they cannot be moved vertically above adjacent boxesso as to clear the same, it is evident that very great inconvenience results when it is desired to move a particular box 4'away.

The structure of the present invention overcomes this drawback by providing a means whereby when the fork 2 of Fig. 2 is in its dot-dash line position shown in Fig. 2 beneath a box 4, for example, the entire fork 2 and box thereon may be shifted of the corridor 7 and at the same. time the fork 2 may be turned about the axis of the shaft 3 so that in this way it is possible to move one of the boxes 4 under the above described circumstances. With such an arrangement theabove-described inconveniences are overcome and it is possible tomake much more use of a given storage space.

The principle of the invention is indicated in Fig. 3 which shows a support 8 adapted to be moved vertically on the vehicle in any known way. A hydraulic cylinder 9 and piston 10 are carried by the support 8, and the pistonlt) has its piston rod connected to an arm 11 which is, in turn, connected to a carriage 12 which is shiftable horizontally along the support 8 in a direction transverse to the forward movement of the vehicle indicated by the arrow P of Fig. 3. Thus, when piston ltl shifts in cylinder 9 the carriage 12 is. shifted along with the piston 10 through the arm 11. 1 1

A second carriage 13 is shiftable horizontally along the carriage 12 also in a direction transverse to the direction of forward vehicle movement P, and this carriage 13 is connected by a flexible means to the support 8. This flexible means takes the form, on the one hand, of achain 14 fixed at one end to carriage 13, extending about a guide roller 16, and fixed at its opposite end to the support 8 at a place distant from the guide roller 16, as indicated in Fig. 3, and on the other hand by a chain 15 fixed at one end to carriage 13, extending about a guide roller 17, and fixed to the support 8 at a place distant from the guide roller 17, as indicated in Fig. 3. The guide rollers 16 and 17 are turnably carried by the carriage 12 for movement about vertical axes, respectively.-

The carriage 13 mounts a fork 18 with its tines 19 for turning movement about the vertically extending pin 21 which is fixed to the carriage 13, and a hydraulic piston and cylinder one end to the carriage 13 and at its opposite end fork 18 so that by shifting of the piston within the cylinder of the hydraulic means 20 the fork 18 maybe turned between the solid and dotted line positions indicated in Fig. 3.

Upon shifting of the piston 10 within the cylinder 9, this piston moves to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, for

example, and the carriage 12 necessarily participates in,

horizontally toward the center means 20 is turnably connected at to the this movement so that the roller 16 causes the chain 14 to draw the carriage 13 to the left, under these circumstances. In this way the fork 18 i shifted together with the carriage 13.

When the piston 10 is shifted to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, the carriage 12 also participates in this movement and at this time the roller 17 cooperates with the chain to draw the carriage 13 to the right.

With the arrangement schematically illustrated in Fig. 3 it is only possible to turn the fork 18 in a counterclockwise direction from its solid to its dotted line position. However, it is possible with minor variations to provide an arrangement where the carriage 13 is located at a rest position centrally of the carriage 12 and where the fork -18 may be turned in either direction about a vertical axis.

Furthermore, in order to save space the translational and turning movement of the lifting fork may be carried out simultaneously with suitable hydraulic controls.

With the structure of the invention it is possible for the vehicle to operate satisfactorily in a ath which is between 1.3 and 1.5 times the width of the vehicle.

Details of one embodiment of an actual structure for carrying 'out the present invention are illustrated in Figs. 4-6. Referring now to these figures it will be seen that vertically extending parallel supports 26 in the form of rigid plates are provided, these supports 26 being connected to the vehicle for vertical movement thereon in any known way not forming part of the present invention. A .pair of rails 27, which form a pair of guide means, are respectively fixed to the top and bottom portions of the supports 26, these rails having a substantially U-shaped .cross section, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 5, and the rails 27 extend horizontally across the supports 26 and have their interiors directed toward each other in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

A carriage 28 is horizontally shiftable along the rails 27, this carriage having at its top and bottom portions, respectively, a pair of I-beam sections which extend within the rails 27, respectively, in the manner shown most clearly in Fig. 5. Rollers are provided to provide the necessary cooperation between the carriage 28 and the guide means 27. Thus, adjacent its left end, as viewed in Fig. 4, each of the rails 27 carries a roller 29 for turning-movement about a substantially vertical axis, each of these rollers having a diameter corresponding to the distance between the front and rear walls of the I-beam sections of the carriage 28, and the rollers 29 are located within the space between these front and rear Walls re spectively above and below the horizontal webs 28' shown in Fig 5. Thus, these rollers 29 serve to horizontally guide thepcarriage 28. Adjacent their right ends, each of the I-beam sections of the carriage 28 carries a pair of rollers 30 which are turnable on the web 28' for movement about vertical axes and which extend through suitable cutouts in the I-beam sections, as indicated in Fig. .5, to engage the inner side faces of the U-shaped guides 27 in the manner shown in Fig. 5. In this way, the rollers 30 and the rollers 29 guide the carriage 28 horizontally. Furthermore, each of the guide means 2'7 carries adjacent its left end, .as viewed in Fig. 4, a roller 31 for turning movement about a horizontal axis, and these rollers 31 respectively engage the webs 28 in the manner shown most clearly in Fig. 4 so as to guide the carriage 28 vertically. In a corresponding manner the webs '28" carry adjacent their right ends rollers 32 which are respectively turnable about horizontal axes and which engage the inner surfaces, respectively, of the horizontal walls of the 'U-shaped guides 27, so that the rollers 32 together with the rollers 31 guide the carriage 28 vertlcally.

Comparing the structure of Figs. 46 with that of Fig. 3, it will be .seenthat the supports 26 and guides 27 correspond to the support 8 of Fig. 3, while the carriage 28 corresponds to the member 12 of Fig. 3. A carriage 33 shown in Figs. 4-6 corresponds to the carriage 13 of Fig. 3. This carriage 33 is itself guided for horizontal movement by the I-bearn sections of the carriage 28. For this purpose, the carriage 33 which is of a substantially 'C-shaped cross section, as shown in Fig. 5, carries at its top and bottom horizontal walls rollers 35 for turning movement about a vertical axis, as shown in Fig. 4, these rollers 35 extending between and engaging the front and rear walls of the I-beam sections of the carriage 28, so that the rollers 35 guide the carriage 33 horizontally. Also, the top and bottom walls of carriage 33 carry rollers 34 for turning movement about horizontal axes, and these rollers 34 are located between and engage the webs 28' in order to guide the carriage 33 vertically.

The embodiment of Figs. 46 includes chains 36 and 39 which correspond respectively to the chains 15 and 14 of Fig. 3. The chain 36 is fixed at 37 (Fig. 4) to the carriage 33, extends about a roller 38 which is turnable about a vertical pin carried by the carriage 28, and is fixed at 43 to one of the supports 26 at a place distant from the roller 38, this roller 33 corresponding to the roller 17 of Fig. 3. The chain 39 is fixed at 40 to the carriage 33 and extends in an opposite direction about a roller 41 which is turnabie about the vertical pin 42 carried by the carriage 28, the chain 39 being fixed at 43' to one of the supports 26 at a place distant from the roller 41, this roller 41 corresponding to the roller 16 of Fig. 3. As is evident from Figs. 4 and 6, the chains 36 and 39 are actually fixed to bolts which extend slidably through openings of stationary members fixed respec-' tively to a pair of these supports 26 and which have coil springs located thereabout and engaged by a pair of lock nuts, so that there is some give to the chains. A hydraulic cylinder 44 is carried by the carriage 28 and the piston within this cylinder has its piston rod fixed to the leftmost support 26 in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that with the embodiment of Figs. 46 the movement of hydraulic fluid into and out of the cylinder 44 will cause the latter to shift on the piston and in this way shift the carriage 28 which is fixed to the cylinder 44 along the guides 27. Suitable controls (not shown) are located in a position for convenient operation by the operator for regulating the flow of fluid to and from the cylinder 44.

The carriage 33 carries a vertical pivot pin 46 on which the rear bar 45 of a lift fork is turnable in the manner indicated in Fig. 6, the tines which are connected to the rear bar 45 being omitted for the sake of convenience. A hydraulic cylinder 47 is turnably connected at its right end, as viewed in Fig. 6 to'the carriage 33 in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and the piston rod of the piston within the cylinder 47 is pivotally connected to the rear bar 45 in the manner shown in Fig. 6, so that the bar 45 together with the tines fixed thereto will be turned about the pin 46 upon movement of hydraulic fluid into and out of the cylinder 47, suitable controls being provided for this purpose at a location convenient to the operator.

The operation of the structure of Figs. 4-6 corresponds in every way to the above-described operation of the diagrammatically illustrated structure of Fig. 3. Actuation of the controls of, the flow of hydraulic fluid into or out of the cylinder 44 produces a horizontal shifting of the carriage 28 with respect to the guides 27 which are fixed to the support 26, and through the chains 36 and 39 this movement of the carriage .28 is transferred to the carriage 33 which is guided by the pair of guide means formed by the I-bearn sections of the carriage 28, and the turning of the bar 45 is brought about by the movement of hydraulic fluid to or from the cylinder 4'7.

With the embodiment of Figs. 46 the lifting fork can only turn in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6, about the pin 46 from the position shown in Fig. 6, but in the same way as with the embodiment of Fig. 3 it is possible to position the carriage 33 centrally of carriage 28 in the idle position of carriage 33 and to turn the lifting fork in either direction with suitable changes.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of vehicles for stacking articles differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in fork-lift trucks having a horizontally shiftable lifting fork, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various application without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle for stacking articles, in combination, support means adapted to move up and down on the vehicle; a first carriage carried by said support means for movement in a substantially horizontal direction; a lifting member adapted to engage an article to be moved; a second carriage mounting said lifting member for movement about a substantially vertical axis, said second carriage being mounted on said first carriage for movement in a substantially horizontal direction; substantially non-stretchable flexible means interconnecting said second carriage with said support means, said flexible means including a pair of chains respectively connected at one of their ends to said second carriage and at their other ends to said support means and said chains respectively extending in opposite directions with respect to each other; and a pair of rollers guiding said chains, respectively, and turnably carried by said first carriage.

2. In a vehicle for stacking articles, in combination, a rigid support adapted to move up and down on the vehicle and having a first pair of substantially horizontally extending guide means located respectively adjacent its top and bottom edges; a first carriage carried by said support and cooperating with said first pair of guide means to be guided thereby in a substantially horizontal direction along said support, said first carriage itself having a second pair of substantially horizontally extending guide means located adjacent its top and bottom edges; a second carriage carried by said first carriage and cooperating with said second pair of guide means to be guided thereby in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to said v and fixed to said support at a place first carriage; a lifting member turnably carried by said second carriage for movement about a substantially vertical axis; first moving means carried by said second carriage and connected to said lifting member for turning the same about said vertical axis; second moving means carried by said support and connected to said first car riage for shifting the same substantially horizontally along said first pair of guide means; and connecting means interconnecting said second carriage with said support for producing a horizontal movement of said second carriage in said second pair of guide means with respect to said first carriage upon shifting of the latter by said second moving means.

3. In a vehicle for stacking articles, in combination, a rigid support adapted to move up and down on the vehicle and having a first pair of substantially horizontally extending guide means located respectively adjacent its top and bottom edges; a first carriage carried by said support and cooperating with said first pair of guide means to be guided thereby in a substantially horizontal direction along said support, said first carriage itself having a second pair of substantially horizontally extending guide means located adjacent its top and bottom edges; a second carriage carried by said first carriage and cooperating with said second pair of guide means to be guided thereby in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to said first carriage; a lifting member turnably carried by said second carriage for movement about a substantially vertical axis; first moving means carried by said second carriage and connected to said lifting member for turning the same about said vertical axis; second moving means carried by said support and connected to said first carriage for shifting the same substantially horizontally along said first pair of guide means; a pair of rollers turnably carried for respective rotation about a pair of substantially vertical axes by said first carriage adjacent opposite side edges thereof, respectively; a first chain fixed to said second carriage, extending about one of said rollers, and fixed to said support at a place distant from said one roller; and a second chain fixed to said second carriage, extending about the other of said rollers, distant from said other roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,663,443 Schenkelberger Dec. 22, 1953 2,699,879 Bertram Jan. 18, 1955 2,706,062 Turner et a1 Apr. 12, 1955 2,709,017 Ulinski May 24, 1955 2,753,066 Arnot July 3, 1956 2,756,888 Avery July 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 690,736 France June 24, 1930 

